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Curiosity

I’m going to keep it short today, ’cause I realize that I tend to go on at length. Apparently, the ideal length for a blog post is 350-450 words, and I’m usually aiming for 500 – whups!

So here’s the question for you – why do people seem to lose their curiosity as they get older? Is it laziness, is it fear? In the past 24 hours, I’ve had interactions with several people that kind of left me stunned, because finding out the answers to their questions/concerns was the work of seconds; why wonder about things if you’re not going to make a point to follow it up? Perhaps that’s just me – I’m admittedly behind the curve on several developmental fronts, but I’ll never surrender my desire to learn and inform myself. But then, perhaps that’s why I often feel like I’m on precipitous ground – I haven’t narrowed my viewpoints into comforting, cosseting ‘truths’, and so don’t feel content with what I would term ignorance.

Suffices to say, this isn’t to name-call or insult anyone – I am genuinely curious as to why people just… don’t want to know, or aren’t willing to make the tiny effort to try and inform themselves. I suspect at least one of you has some science for me, but hopefully more will have interesting opinions. 😀

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Curiosity — 2 Comments

Umm, I’m probably atypical in that I’ve never stopped – but I think that it generally happens because people get to a point at which they’ve satisfied themselves that they’ve got as much as they need. Quite why this happens I don’t know – but often these are the same people that would rather bitch than effect a change, so maybe it comes down to what you’re prepared to put energy into. I suspect I’ll still be wanting to delve into things when I’m 90.

I’m not sure about the precipitous ground thing – it’s a truism that the more you know, the more keenly you’re aware of your ignorance, but what you do with that is, I suspect, down to personality. I don’t have ‘truths’ in my life but I do have a framework which works for me as somewhere I can contentedly dwell. And it’s a great comfort to me that I have so many resources with which to question and expand my curiosity – I’ve always had books, but the internet is a world of possibilities, providing that you’re search smart.

The other thing that I’d note is that I don’t spend overmuch time with gossip, soap operas and reality tv, which seem to consume so many. I do spend time with documentaries, mind-stimulating quizzes, debate and news. Maybe there is another clue – that some people prefer superficiality to more meaty philosophical challenges. Ultimately I don’t know, but it’s ok that we have a diversity of different types and the fact that some people lose their curiosity does not mean that it is an ultimate fate for all of us.

Regarding precipitous ground: I was referring to my own personal instability, of which I generally have nothing but. I hide it well, mind, but it’s there in spades. 🙂

And I think you have some valid points as to why people ‘give up’, though I definitely didn’t think it was a cursed fate for all. *laughs* Like you, I intend to delve and investigate and savor the world around me for as long as I may. I would say that’s a characteristic of anyone I would actually call friend, such as yourself – while I admit there is some titillation in gossip, I’d much rather share something meaningful and expansive…. even if I get frustrated a lot. *grins*